Department of Public Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry de Bascule, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands.
PLoS One. 2018 May 31;13(5):e0197508. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197508. eCollection 2018.
Early life stress has been shown to influence the developing autonomic nervous system. Stressors in infancy may program the autonomic nervous system resting state set point, affecting cardiovascular function in later life. Excessive crying may be an indicator of increased stress arousal in infancy. We hypothesized that excessive infant crying is related to altered cardiac autonomic nervous system activity and increased blood pressure at age 5-6 years.
In the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, excessive crying, maternal burden of infant care and maternal aggressive behavior in the 13th week after birth (range 11-16 weeks) were reported using questionnaires. Blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability and indicators of cardiac autonomic nervous system activity (sympathetic drive by pre-ejection period, parasympathetic drive by respiratory sinus arrhythmia) were measured at age 5-6 years during rest. Inclusion criteria were singleton birth, term-born, and no reported congenital or cardiovascular problems (N = 2153 included).
Excessive crying (2.8%) was not associated with resting heart rate, heart rate variability, pre-ejection period, respiratory sinus arrhythmia nor with blood pressure at age 5-6 years.
Excessive infant crying as an indicator of increased stress arousal does not seem to be related to resting activity of the autonomic nervous system or blood pressure at age 5-6. Potential associations may become visible under stressed conditions.
已有研究表明，早期生活压力会影响自主神经系统的发育。婴儿期的压力源可能会调节自主神经系统的静息状态设定点，从而影响成年后的心血管功能。过度哭泣可能是婴儿期应激唤醒增加的一个指标。我们假设，婴儿过度哭泣与心脏自主神经系统活动改变和 5-6 岁时血压升高有关。
在阿姆斯特丹出生的儿童及其发育研究中，通过问卷调查在婴儿出生后第 13 周（范围为 11-16 周）报告过度哭泣、母亲照顾婴儿的负担和母亲的攻击性行为。在 5-6 岁时休息期间测量血压、心率、心率变异性和心脏自主神经系统活动的指标（射前期的交感神经驱动、呼吸窦性心律失常的副交感神经驱动）。纳入标准为单胎分娩、足月出生，且无先天性或心血管问题报告（共纳入 2153 例）。
过度哭泣（2.8%）与 5-6 岁时的静息心率、心率变异性、射前期、呼吸窦性心律失常或血压无关。
作为应激唤醒增加的一个指标，婴儿过度哭泣似乎与 5-6 岁时的自主神经系统静息活动或血压无关。在应激条件下，可能会出现潜在的关联。
